Dear Editor:
First, let me say I don’t believe in any of the political leadership available. The Conservatives, in particular, are on a mission. It is their modus operandi.
Mike Harris sold the 407 to buddies in the business world, depriving us of hundreds of millions that could have gone into maintenance infrastructure. That’s why countries I’ve driven in, like France, Portugal and the U.S. have tolls. Not to make someone rich.
Doug Ford is behind privatization. In the medical world, Ontarians (you and me) have paid out to private medical firms $1.5 billion dollars for high rollers speeding past huge wait times in the public sphere to get the attention they need. But why do we fund it?
The LCBO, a wonderful money maker for us all, is losing who knows how much of our revenue with Ford’s current initiative. Ford is funding a $600 million facilitation for liquor sale outlets. The skinny on alcohol is out. It causes everything from cancer to brain rot. Having tons of liquor outlets is going to create more crime, more domestic abuse, more generalized uncertainty.
Then there’s the Greenbelt sold to friends at a fraction of its real estate value, not to mention our ecological demise. He is not out to protect you.
When Doug Ford says he’ll make cuts, he’s not kidding. He’s cutting public money to needy areas. There are 80,000 people in Ontario living on the streets – men, women and children. Many with mental health issues. There are 2,000 people on stretchers in hallways in Toronto hospitals.
Ontario has 2.5 million people without a family doctor. I’m old. But if I was a new parent with a baby, I’d be very daunted by going to clinics or emerge all the time.
At any rate there’s no one on the horizon worth a vote.
When Pierre Trudeau was prime minister talking about the U.S. and Canada trade negotiations, he said living next door to the U.S. is like being in bed with an elephant. If the elephant rolls over in its sleep it can crush you. Well, looks like it’s rolling over.
We are 44 million strong; America is almost 10 times that. For a small population base like Canada, to have so much border is beyond unusual, it is unique. Our schools and hospital systems are crumbling. Half of Canadians are 200 dollars away from ending up on the street. We need to wake up.
Anything Ford wants to do he does. Doug Ford is triggering an election at the cost of $189 million, at a time when we should be saving every collective penny.
Why call an election? Because he can. It’s what dictators do.
David Courtney,
Belwood